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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · lean · fork · saw · tube · can · ruler · pound

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. can — to be able to
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. can — a tin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. tube — a container
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. can — a tin
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com